Lankans stranded mid sea

27 May 2010 04:45 am

As many as 26 refugees from Sri Lanka were stranded in the Indian Ocean about 80 miles southeast of Central Java province's Cilacap regency, the Jakarta Post quoted an official as saying on Thursday.

"The Sri Lankan refugees were discovered by local fishermen," said Cilacap Coast Guard chief Aher Priyatno on Wednesday, adding that authorities were currently deciding where to bring the Sri Lankans.

He said that the refugees asked the fisherman to request help from the authorities. According to him, the Sri Lankans were heading to Australia for refuge when they ran out of food. In the last few years, many refugees from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Iran have been entering Indonesian waters on their way to Australia. (Xinhua)